We’ve been hearing a lot in regards to the next update to Windows, codenamed Windows Blue, such as it marking the return of the Windows Start button a “Boot to Desktop” option and it possibly being named Windows 8.1 when it’s released. Today, we’re hearing one of those rumors have been confirmed by Microsoft.

Microsoft’s Windows chief financial officer Tami Reller spoke at today’s JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference revealing Windows Blue will be known as Windows 8.1 when it’s released sometime later this year. Best of all, Windows 8.1 will be made available completely for free for existing Windows 8 and Windows RT users.

Reller also emphasized Microsoft’s strategy to using its Windows Store to deliver Windows 8.1 to users by giving them the choice when they would like to have it installed on their computer. “Windows 8.1 will be a packaged set of updates which customers can say when they are ready (to deploy),” she said. That’s certainly a welcomed method as there’s nothing more annoying than having to forcibly install an update when you’re not ready for something like a 189GB update to install itself.